Fruit of the Poisonous Tree
by Insanetrouble
Summary: In early December, Arthur's being tried in court for his 'crimes'. But even 'dead', Annie isn't going to let Henry Wilcox win...


**_Hi! This has been in my head since I saw the summer finale, so I hope you like it! Please tell me what you think :-) X_**

Joan led Auggie into the crowded courtroom, stomach churning with her free arm rested over her swollen abdomen. It was Arthur's trial, and almost a week in things weren't looking good.

"Are you OK?" Auggie whispered as they took their seats amongst everyone else.

"I'm fine." Joan assured him. "Have you…"

She trailed off and narrowed her eyes as she caught sight of who had just entered the room.

"Joan?" Auggie questioned. Joan clenched her fists.

"Henry Wilcox just walked in." she told him quietly. Auggie tensed, scowling.

"What the hell is he doing here? He hasn't been in all week." he seethed.

"It's the final day. He's gloating." Joan leaned back slightly, anger welling through her. Just then, the judge entered and the courtroom settled down as Arthur was led in, hands and feet bound in chains. Joan tensed, a gasp escaping her lips as she caught sight of her husband.

"Arthur" she whispered. Auggie covered her hand with his own, squeezing slightly in support.

"What is it?" he asked softly.

"He… he's been beaten. Badly." Her voice shook, and Auggie squeezed a little tighter. Arthur caught her eye and gave her a weak smile before he turned to the front and the lawyers began, battling wills and twisting facts.

"I call my next witness, Henry Wilcox to the stand." The prosecutor proclaimed. Joan ground her teeth.

"Crap." She hissed. The lawyers interviewed Henry, and he spoke about how he'd discovered Teo, and Arthur's subsequent payments to him. He detailed Arthur's betrayal and Teo's actions, and then went on to discuss Annie's.

At this, Auggie lurched forward slightly, but was stopped by Joan's hand clamping down on his arm.

"He's not worth it Auggie." She whispered frantically.

"It would make me feel better." He answered. A few people turned and glared at them.

"I now, but it's not the way." When Auggie still attempted to rise again, she tightened her grip and leaned closer. "Please Auggie. I can't do this alone, and if you get arrested I will be."

This broke through, and Auggie leaned back, giving a single nod.

"Ok. But only because you're a ready to pop." He told her softly. In front, the prosecutor was talking again.

"We have a video of the helicopter attack of which we speak." He clicked the button on the TV, and a picture of the helicopter taking off flashed up. He pressed another button and it began to play.

Joan watched as the rotors whirred and the helicopter lifted. She heard a faint whistle, and despite the fact she knew what was coming she still jumped when the missile head crashed into the side of it and the copter exploded into a ball of flame.

But then the picture flashed and changed to show Henry Wilcox sitting on a chair, leaning back and relaxed with his hands resting lightly on his knees. Joan frowned, straightening slightly as the court began whispering and the prosecutor began frantically trying to turn it off.

"_All those missions you claimed Arthur sanctioned, they were yours weren't they?" _A disembodied voice came through the speakers.

"_Of course." _On-screen Henry snorted. _"That idiot couldn't find his head from his arse."_

_"There's just one thing I don't understand. Why set Teo up for the helicopter crash? He was already a fugitive." _The voice drifted through the speakers while real life Henry looked visibly panicked.

_"But he hadn't killed an American and he wasn't planning to. He was actually working for us, for Christ sakes. Arthur may have actually turned this around and that was something I couldn't let happen." _He said onscreen.

_"So you fired a stolen missile head at a helicopter... Why not just stab somebody and plant his fingerprints on the knife?" _The voice questioned. The Henry on the tape smirked, and shrugged.

"_It was more fun this way." _The court erupted.

_"And what about me? You set me up to look like a traitor, and by default Joan and Auggie too. Why?"_

_"I like you Annie, and so did my son. But you were working against me. It was just business, Miss Walker, and as for Auggie and Joanie, well...they chose the wrong side." _Joan laughed slightly, staring at the screen in amazement as Henry leaned back and casually crossed his leg over the other.

"Annie. She did it, she actually did it." She breathed, beginning to smile. Beside her, Auggie beamed.

"That's my girl." he said proudly. Joan gripped his hand as she stared transfixed at the screen.

"_All this because you blame Arthur for Jai's death?" _Annie's voice came through. In real life, Henry was pale and shell shocked as he gazed open mouthed at the video.

"_Jai died because of Arthur's actions_."

"_Jai died because he was trying to prove himself to you! If anyone's to blame for his death, it's you Henry, not Arthur. _

_"Teo was innocent in all of this- he was serving his country. The men who died because of your vendetta were good men. Men who served their country, who had families and friends and people who cared about them. You destroyed so many lives, Henry, and for what?" _Annie became visible on screen, walking into view in front of Henry, but not blocking him from sight.

"Huh... She went brunette." Joan commented to Auggie.

"_And what are you going to do about it, Miss Walker? You're a traitor, remember?" _Annie smiled tightly, leaning closer to him.

"_I'm already dead. What have I got to lose?" _The tape switched off, and the court was in uproar. Arthur turned and raised an eyebrow at Joan, who grinned widely and shrugged innocently at him, laughing a little as the judge desperately tried to bring order to the court and Henry protested his innocence.

On the other side of the room, a figure caught her eye. She wasn't gesturing or shouting, but just sitting, watching the room with a faint smile. Her eyes met Joan's and she smiled widely, inclining her head slightly.

"Annie." Joan breathed. She stood, tugging Auggie to his feet and crossing to her.

"Afternoon Joan, Auggie." Annie stood up as they approached, a wide smile stretching across her face. Auggie reached out and pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly and burying his face in her hair.

"I missed you." He whispered as she wrapped her arms around just as fiercely.

"I missed you too. So much." They broke apart reluctantly, conscious of where they were. Joan stepped forward, and pulled Annie into a gentle embrace as much as she could around her stomach.

"It's good to see you Annie." She told her sincerely. Annie smiled again.

"You too, Joan. Should you be wandering about like that?" She nodded to her abdomen as Auggie slid an arm around her waist, causing Joan to laugh slightly.

"Probably not." She confessed, looking around as the court began to settle down. "Annie... somebody could..."

"See me? Yeah I know, I have to lay low... I just couldn't resist seeing the look on Henry's face when he saw the tape. I'll wait outside." Annie grinned, pressing a kiss on Auggie's lips."I love you. I'll see you soon, I promise." She whispered before turning to go.

"Tell Arthur I said hi." She called out, before disappearing into crowd. Joan and Auggie retook their seats as the court fell silent once more.

"Your honour, I ask that the last section of tape be omitted. It wasn't intended to be on there." The flustered prosecutor asked.

"Granted. The jury will disregard that last section of tape." The judge said begrudgingly.

"Objection, your honour." Arthur's lawyer stood suddenly. The judge looked at her inquiringly.

"That tape was admitted by the defense. I have the evidence lists here- there's no mention of only some of the tape being used."

"That's ridiculous! That wasn't supposed to be on there- it wasn't when I checked it!" The ADA protested. Arthur's lawyer rounded on him.

"Oh, so the tape was tampered with after you admitted it into evidence? In that case your honour, I ask that all evidence in this case be omitted, as clearly there is reasonable doubt that any of it is untampered with and unbiased." The prosecuted gasped and spluttered as the court shifted but the judge banged her gravel.

"Order." She demanded sternly. She regarded the two lawyers in front of her.

"As... Unorthodox as it is, I have to agree with you. If one piece of evidence has been tampered with, then all of it may be tainted, including pieces that have already been presented." The judge agreed. Joan tensed, her fingers tightening reflexively on Auggie's arm. "I therefore dismiss this case from court, without prejudice."

The court exploded once again, and the judge struggled to bring it to order. Joan gasped, the hand that wasn't gripping Auggie's flying up to cover her mouth. His hand reflexively tightened on hers as he sat up straighter.

"I suggest you seriously consider who it is you're charging with these crimes, counsellor." The judge said pointedly. "Members of the jury, thank you for your service and please remember you signed a confidentiality agreement."

She stood and strode out, leaving the courtroom in disarray and shock.

"Oh my god!" Auggie grinned. Joan leaned back in relief, her hand cradling her swollen tummy as she processed what had just happened. Arthur turned, grinning widely at her and she smiled back, biting back tears of relief.

"God, remind me to give Annie a raise. A big one." She told Auggie. He chuckled, pulling her into a brief hug.

"C'mon, let's go round to booking- that's where he'll come out." He let her guide him to the right area where they waited anxiously for Arthur to appear. When he finally did, Joan stepped forward hesitantly, biting back yet again tears that threatened to fall.

"Joan!" Arthur swept her into his arms, holding her tightly.

"Arthur. Oh god, I missed you." She whispered. He pulled back just enough to kiss her deeply, one hand resting on her stomach. Vaguely, they were both aware of the clicking cameras of the press off to the side, but ignored them. They broke apart, resting their foreheads against each other.

"I take back what I said last week about your lawyer." Joan said softly, a smile breaking across her face. Arthur chuckled.

"I know for a fact she didn't tamper with that tape." He raised an eyebrow.

"No, that was Annie." Joan told him. He opened his mouth, then closed it again.

"Annie's dead…" he said slowly. Joan grinned, shaking her head.

"Really Arthur. You've worked for the CIA for how many years?"

"Guys? We're about to be accosted by several unhappy bosses…" Auggie had his head tipped to the side slightly, listening intently. Joan glanced back at the approaching group of people.

"Want to make a run for it?" she cocked a challenging eyebrow. Arthur grinned.

"You bet." She reached out and grabbed Auggie's hand as Arthur caught hers and the three of them sped through the courthouse, running past the reporters and down the steps into the December air as fast as Joan could.

"Look." Joan nodded to the black SUV that sat idling at the kerb. It flashed its lights at them, prompting them to walk closer. The window rolled down, to reveal Annie in the drivers' seat, a sassy grin on her face.

"Good afternoon! I'll be your chauffeur for today!" she sang. Auggie chuckled, climbing into the passenger seat while Joan and Arthur got in the back.

"I gotta say Walker, you look good for a dead woman." Arthur complimented her, stretching an arm over to rest over Joan's hand, which was curled over her stomach.

"Good to see you too Arthur." Annie shot him a cheeky grin as she drove away, the smile stretching across her face.

"You know I can hear you smiling." Auggie joked.

"Henry Wilcox just got outed in open court. Why wouldn't I smile?" Annie pointed out as she wove through traffic. Auggie began to laugh, which set Annie off as well. Before long, Joan and Arthur had joined in, and the four of them drove through DC, all of them laughing uncontrollably.

* * *

"You ready?" Joan asked Annie a week later. She nodded uncertainly.

"I think so." She smoothed down her jacket in front of the mirror, breathing rapidly. The soft leather fell against her denim jeans and blouse perfectly, but that didn't stop her from fiddling with her outfit. She glanced at Joan worriedly.

"Should you be working this close to your due date? It's only a few days away…" Joan smiled gently.

"I'm only going to be there a little while." She reassured the younger woman. "Just long enough to get you settled."

She hustled Annie out of the door and into the waiting car. The brunette sat jiggling her foot for the whole journey, her hands twisting nervously in her lap as she watched the DC landscape rush past. Joan glanced sympathetically at her, but knew nothing she said could calm her.

"Annie, we're here." She said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder when she didn't stir. Annie jolted, blinking slightly.

"Whoops. Sorry." She apologised, climbing out the car as the driver helped Joan from her side. They walked in together, and immediately Annie was aware of the stares and whispers from those who caught sight of her. She tensed nervously; ducking her head so that her hair curtained her face. Joan stopped and took the woman's hands in her own.

"You're one of the best spies in the agency, Annie Walker. You've completed hundreds of ops that no one else would touch and you just took down a conspiracy within the agency that's been going on for decades. And you just came back from the dead. So don't you dare duck your head- you keep it held up high and show all those idiots who doubted you just how wrong they were." Joan told her fiercely. Annie looked started but she nodded uncertainly, flicking her hair over her shoulder and raising her head, looking Joan straight in the eye.

"Better?" she questioned. Joan nodded, grinning proudly as soon as Annie turned away. They made their way through security and up to the DPD where they found Calder and Auggie in deep conversation while the rest of the room bustled around. Joan noticed Annie slowing down as they approached.

"Just concentrate on Auggie. Forget everyone else." Joan whispered. Annie attempted a weak smile.

"Thank you Joan." She said seriously, before they turned and walked in together. An astonished hush fell over the room as everyone set eyes on the woman they'd watched die all those months before, and Calder whispered to Auggie as he caught sight of them, a smirk crossing his face. Auggie turned and strode confidently across to her.

"Walker." He smirked.

"Anderson." She grinned. She slipped easily into his arms and he angled her head so he could kiss her deeply, reveling in the feel of her in his arms after so many months. From around them, catcalls sounded and as they broke apart applause rang out along with cheers and whistles. Annie blushed.

"Welcome back Walker." Calder called from where he lent on a desk.

"Thanks." Annie turned, her mouth twitching when she saw who was watching silently from the doorway.

"Hey Joan, I think he's for you." She nodded towards the doorway. Joan looked startled, turning towards where she indicated and flushing with pleasure when she caught sight of Arthur.

"Hi honey." He greeted, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and resting a hand on her stomach.

"Hi. Thought you had a meeting?"

"I did." He told her mildly. She leant into him with a smile and he pressed a kiss to her head as they watched other operatives and techs swarm around Annie to congratulate her.

"She looks embarrassed." Arthur commented.

"She is." Confirmed Joan. "You think it's safe to leave them alone?"

"They're in one of the most secure buildings in the world, so yes, I do. Why?"

"Because your son's ready to say hello, and I'd really prefer he didn't do it here." She waited for a few beats until realisation hit him.

"You… I… we…" he spluttered. She laughed gently, catching his hand.

"Come on. We'll call them later." She led him out, their fingers entwined, leaving the door to swing shut behind them.


End file.
